Heteronuclear complexation in the system 1-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonic acid—manganese(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis>)—gadolinium(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">iii</Emphasis>) in aqueous solution

pH-Potentiometric method in combination with mathematical modeling was used to study the system manganese(ii)—gadolinium(iii)—1-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonic acid (HEDP, H₄L). When both cations simultaneously are present in the solution, the accumulation of heteronuclear forms with the ratio of Gd: Mn: HEDP equal to 1: 1: 1, 1: 1: 2, and 1: 1: 3 was observed already in the strongly acidic pH region, while from homonuclear forms only five complexes were detected in the solution, namely, MnL₂^6–, GdH₄L₂^–, GdH₂L⁺, KGd₂HL₂↓, and K₃Gd₂L₂(OH)↓. It was concluded that heteronuclear complexes are much stronger and replace homonuclear forms in solution.     

Effect of water—ethanol solvent on the stability of copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis>) coordination compound with the nicotinate ion

The stability constants of copper(II) complexes with nicotinate ion in water—ethanol solvent were determined by the potentiometric method at 25.0±0.1 °C and ionic strength of 0.25 (NaClO₄) in the range X_EtOH = 0—0.7 mole fractions. The stability constant of copper(II) nicotinate complex considerably increases with increasing ethanol concentration in the solvent. The contributions of reactants to the Gibbs energy of the complex formation reaction on going from water to aqueous ethanol were analyzed. The results of thermodynamic analysis of solvation effects were used to evaluate the ratio of the ion and ligand transfer Gibbs energy contributions to the change in the reaction Gibbs energy in the water—ethanol system.     

Properties of a poly(ethylene glycol)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">block</Emphasis>-poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-benzyl <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-glutamate)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">graft</Emphasis>-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer membrane

Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-block-PBLG-graft-PEG) copolymer was synthesized by the ester exchange reaction of PBLG-block-PEG copolymer with a PEG chain. Surface morphology of the PEG-block-PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer membrane was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanical and chemical properties of the PEG-block-PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer membrane were investigated by tensile testing and contact angle testing. The effects of grafting ratio on the properties of PEG-block-PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer membrane were primarilly studied.     

Alkyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-cellulosides: non-reducing cellulose mimics

Non-reducing cellulose mimics, termed alkyl β-d-cellulosides, were successfully prepared by two efficient multi-step syntheses starting from commercially available microcrystalline cellulose or cellulose triacetate. Introduction of the alkoxy moiety and degradation of the cellulose backbone was carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid, on one hand. On the other hand, cellulose hydrolysis mediated by mineral acids was combined with β-glycosidation performed in the presence of silver salts. The samples obtained possess a number-average degree of polymerization from 5 to 25, determined by size-exclusion chromatography, elemental analyses, NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Samples in multi-gram quantities were available. Selective formation of a β-glycosidic bond between the C-1 atom of the reducing end group and alkoxy moieties was confirmed by a combination of 2D NMR spectroscopic and MALDI-TOF MS techniques. Due to the blocking of the aldehyde function, the cellulosides described are very useful mimics for the investigation of polysaccharide interactions with other complex molecules such as proteins or to determine polymer properties in solution or in solid state.     

Factors influencing aggregation behavior of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-benzyl <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-glutamate)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">graft</Emphasis>-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer in mixed solvents

Poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PBLG-graft-PEG) copolymer was synthesized by the ester exchange reaction of PBLG homopolymer with mPEG. Aggregation behavior of the PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer in mixtures of ethanol and chloroform was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and viscometry. Effects of the polymer solution concentration, grafting degree, test temperature, and chloroform content on the morphology, average particle diameter, and critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the micelles formed by the PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer in the mixed solvents were mainly studied. It was revealed that the PBLG-graft-PEG copolymer can self-assemble into polymeric micelles with a core-shell structure in various shapes depending on the preparation conditions.     

Enhanced Production of an Extracellular β-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Fructofuranosidase Fructohydrolase from a 2-Deoxy-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-glucose Stabilized Mutant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida utilis</Emphasis>

The enzyme β-d-fructofuranosidase fructohydrolase (FFH) cleaves the α-1,4 glycosidic linkage between α-d-glucose and β-d-fructose molecules of sucrose, releasing monosaccharides by hydrolysis. In the present study, FFH production in Candida utilis GC-46, a lipolytic wild yeast strain was improved by exposure to N-methyl N-nitro N-nitroso guanidine (NG) and 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2dg) at various levels. The mutant strain NG-5 was obtained after exposure to 0.06 mg/ml of NG for 20 min. NG-5 offers improved extracellular FFH production (34 ± 2.6 U/ml/min) when compared to the wild strain (1.15 ± 0.01 U/ml/min). A 40-fold increase of FFH (45.65 ± 2.0 U/ml/min) was achieved when the process parameters, including incubation period (48 h), sucrose concentration (5.0 g/l), initial pH (6.0), inoculum size (2.0% v/v, 16 h old), and urea concentration (0.2%, w/v) were identified using Plackett–Burman design. The kinetic parameters viz. Q _p (0.723 U/g/h), Y _p/s (2.036 U/g), and q _p (0.091 U/g yeast cells/h) indicate that NG-5 is a hyperproducer of extracellular FFH with a concomitant increase in growth rate. The volumetric productivity of NG-5 was over sixfold improved over the parental strain. The enzyme production improvement is highly significant (HS, LSD 0.042, p ≤ 0.05), indicating commercial utility.     

Preparation of optical active aliphatic <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-amino acid from fatty acid: synthesis of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-norvaline and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-norvaline

A new synthesis of l-norvaline is described. Using valeric acid as the raw material, α-brominevaleryl chloride was achieved by acyl chlorination and α-position bromination in one-pot with the yield of 84.7%. The yields of the following ammoniation of α-brominevaleryl chloride and resolution of dl-norvaline were 88.7% and 26.7%, respectively. d-Norvaline was also obtained in a similar method from the waste resolution solution. Other optical active amino acids, valine, α-aminobutyric acid and alanine were also synthesized in similar ways.     

10<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Hydroxy-<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-isomorphine,a by-product of the synthesis of 10<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-hydroxymorphine

Abstract  A new compound was isolated from the reaction mixture after O-demethylation of 6-O-acetyl-10α-acetoxycodeine with boron tribromide. The structure of this compound, 10α-hydroxy-β-isomorphine, was elucidated by spectral data, and its spatial arrangement was deduced from an NOE experiment. Capillary zone electrophoresis was used for separation of morphine and its 10-hydroxy analogues. Graphical abstract        

Modification of poly(vinyl alcohol) membrane via blending with poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-benzyl <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-glutamate)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">block</Emphasis>-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer

A series of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PBLG-b-PEG) blend membranes with different PVA/PBLG-b-PEG mole ratios were prepared by pervaporation. Structure and morphologies of PVA/PBLG-b-PEG blend membranes were investigated using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanical and chemical properties of PVA/PBLG-b-PEG blend membrane were studied by tensile testing and other physical methods. It was revealed that the introduction of PBLG-b-PEG copolymer has significant effect on the properties of a PVA membrane.     

Thermodynamic investigation of the systems <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ln</Emphasis>Se<Subscript>2</Subscript>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ln</Emphasis>Se<Subscript>1.5</Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ln</Emphasis> = La,Nd)

A detailed thermodynamic study of the systems LnSe₂–LnSe_1.5 (Ln = La, Nd) was performed by static method of vapour pressure measurement using quartz membrane-gauge manometers within the temperature range 713–1,395 K. The p _Se–T–x dependences obtained in this study have shown that the phase regions in composition intervals studied consist of discrete phases: LnSe_1.95 LnSe_1.90, LnSe_1.85, LnSe_1.80 (Ln = La, Nd). The enthalpies and the entropies for the stepwise dissociation process were calculated from the experimental data. The standard enthalpies of formation and the absolute entropies were estimated for the compounds investigated using literature data.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-tetrazolylmethoxyl derivatives of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methyldiazene <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxides

A preparation method was developed for previously unknown tetrazole derivatives containing in the 1, 2, and/or 5 positions of the tetrazole ring N-methyldiazene-N-oxide-N′-oxymethyl groups.     

Study of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> β</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis> recrystallization of the polypropylene

The crystalline modifications and of polypropylene (PP) were studied by using polarized light microscopy (PLM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Typically crystals surrounded by spherulites were observed at low temperature. With increasing temperature the crystals melted and a new crystal appeared. More interestingly, the melting temperature of the new crystal was about 5 ° higher than that of spherulites originally present in the sample formed isothermally. It was assumed that this new crystal was the recrystalline crystal. This assumption was supported by the DSC results. Furthermore, the crystallization kinetics of the PP used was studied on the basis of the traditional Avrami analysis. As a result, the Avrami exponents of crystallization temperature from 120 to 130 °C ranged between 4.21 and 3.60, indicating that the crystallization mechanism of PP order melt was spherulitic growth and random nucleation.     

HNO(H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> = 1–4) clusters: a theoretical study

The geometrical structure, binding energy, and vibrational spectra of small clusters of nitrosyl hydride (HNO) and water molecules, HNO(H₂O) _n , where (n = 1–4), have been investigated at the MP2 level of theory, using 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set. We located three dimers, six trimers, nine tetramers, and three pentamers at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) computational level. Particular attention is given to existence and magnitude of NH···O blue-shifting hydrogen bonds. Blue shifts of the NH stretching frequency upon complex formation in the ranges between 28 and 151 cm⁻¹ is predicted. Cooperative effect in terms of stabilization energy along with the many-body interaction energies analysis was performed for the studied clusters. The Atoms in Molecules (AIM) theory was also applied to explain the nature of the complexes.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">iso</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Cyclopiazonic acid,a new natural product isolated from the marine-derived fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus flavus</Emphasis> C-F-3

A new natural product, iso-α-cyclopiazonic acid (1), together with its isomer α-cyclopiazonic acid (2); three mycotoxins: aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) (3), aflatoxin Q₁ (AFQ₁) (4), and O-methylsterigmatocystin (OMST) (5); two diketopiperazine alkaloids: ditryptophenaline (6) and 3-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]-6-benzylpiperazine-2,5-dione (7), were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus flavus. Their structures were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1 and 2 were studied using HL-60, MOLT-4, A-549, and BEL-7402 cell lines.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of a new 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>–4<Emphasis Type="Italic">f</Emphasis> complex generated from the IDA ligand

An interesting 3d–4f complex [CeCo(HIDA)(IDA)₂] _n (I) (IDA = iminodiacetic acid) was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by IR, TG, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Complex I crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a = 9.7033(19), b = 24.141(5), c = 8.5810(17) Å, β = 115.01(3)°, V = 1821.6(6) ų, Z = 4, ρ _c = 2.152 g/cm³, F(000) = 1148. Crystallographic data for I were collected at 293 K with a Rigaku R-axis Rapid IP diffractometer using graphite monochromatic MoK _α radiation (λ = 0.71073 Å) and IP technique, GOOF = 0.994, the final R = 0.0245 and wR = 0.0763 (I > 2σ(I)). Complex I is a two-dimensional layer structure, in which the Ce(III) center is surrounded by ten oxygen atoms from different IDA ligands. The Co(II) center is six-coordinated by four oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms from two different IDA ligands. The carboxylic oxygen atom connected such units along the z axis to form a one-dimensional chain-like structure. The IDA ligand connects neighboring chains to form a two-dimensional layer structure.     

Cyclization of the substituted <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ortho</Emphasis>-cyclopropylphenyl)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N′</Emphasis>-aryl ureas and thioureas in the gas phase and solution

Electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), tandem mass spectrometry, high-resolution measurements, and labeling studies as well as quantum chemical calculations were used to understand the behavior of the molecular radical cations (EI) and protonated molecules (CI) of substituted N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N'-aryl ureas and N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N'-aryl thioureas in a mass spectrometer. Fragmentation schemes and possible mechanisms of primary isomerization were proposed. According to the fragmentation pattern, formation of the corresponding benzoxazines and benzothiazines was considered as the major process of isomerization of the original M(+.) and MH(+), although some portions of these ions definitely transformed into other structures. The treatment of N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N'-phenyl urea and N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N'-phenylthiourea in solution with strong acids formed predicted 4-ethyl-N-phenyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-2-amin and 4-ethyl-N-phenyl-4H-3,1-benzothiazin-2-amine as principal products.     

Expression of a Glucose-tolerant β-glucosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Humicola grisea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">thermoidea</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

A β-glucosidase gene (bgl4) from Humicola grisea var thermoidea was successfully expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recombinant protein (BGL4 ^Sc ) was initially detected associated with yeast cells and later in the culture medium. BGL4 ^Sc showed optimal pH and temperature of 6.0 and 40 °C, respectively, and an apparent molecular mass of 57 kDa. The enzyme showed activity against cellobiose and synthetic substrates, and was inhibited more than 80% by Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Al³⁺. Using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (pNPG) as substrate, BGL4 ^Sc presented a V _max of 6.72 μmol min⁻¹ mg total protein⁻¹ and a K _m of 0.16 mM under optimal conditions. Most important, BGL4 ^Sc is resistant to inhibition by glucose and the calculated K _i value for this sugar is 70 mM. This feature prompts BLG4 ^Sc as an ideal enzyme to be used in the saccharification process of lignocellulosic materials for ethanol production.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arylsulfanyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arylsulfonyl(acyl)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-phenylthiourea sodium salts

Reactions of N-arylsulfonyl(acyl)arenesulfenamide sodium salts with phenyl isothiocyanate afforded N-arylsulfanyl-N-arylsulfonyl(acyl)-N-phenylthioura sodium salts which were found to increase thermal stability of finely dispersed poly(vinyl chloride).Translated from Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, Vol. 40, No. 10, 2004, pp. 1532–1535.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Koval, Oleinik.     

New “s<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">2</Emphasis></Superscript>-bonded” carbanucleosides

By reaction of 2,3-dichloro-, 2,3,5-trichloro-, 2,5-dichloro-3-phenylsulfonyl-, 2-chloro-3-phenylsulfonyl-4,4-ethylenedioxycyclopent-2-en-1-ones with uracyl 3- and 2-uracyl derivatives were obtained of the corresponding chlorocyclopentenone.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-Chloro-<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-unsaturated carbonyls as convenient precursors of highly substituted benzenes

The Diels–Alder reactions of three β-chloro-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds 1–3 with different dienes were carried out to afford highly functionalized cyclohexenes 4–9, bearing quaternary centers, in good yields. These cycloadducts (CAs) undergo dehydrochlorination with subsequent aromatization in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene DBU to produce new substituted benzenes 11–14. Compound 10 is the product of lactonization and removal of an HCl molecule from compound 7. All products were characterized by NMR, IR, elementary analysis and some of them by MS. Structure assignments of isomers were carried out on the basis of NMR chemical shifts and coupling constants using 1D, 2D and heteronOe NMR techniques.